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Intermountain Opera Bozeman presents Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment sung in English with English supertitles Setting In Tyrol, a region in the Alps, in the early nineteenth century. Story Sergeant Sulpice, the big cheese in a regiment of French soldiers just about to pull out of Tyrol, is a little worried about Marie, the daughter of the regiment. She's been spotted several times now, talking to a handsome young local. But, by regimental decree as well as her own vow, Marie can only marry a soldier from the regiment. So when her sweetheart Tonio is captured by the regiment as an enemy spy, he enlists in order to be eligible to marry his beloved. It's the happiest day of his life, he sings, when he becomes both soldier and affianced. But his happiness is short- lived. Encountering the regiment, the Marquise of Birkenfeld, a local aristocrat, recognizes in Marie a child long missing from her wealthy family. She whisks Marie off to be made into a lady, leaving the regiment forlorn and Tonio devastated. Some months later, the Marquise is trying to arrange a marriage between Marie and the young Duke of Krackentorp. Her efforts to transform Marie into a dazzling society debutante, however, have failed to take; Marie prefers singing her old regimental ditties to the latest popular Romantic songs. Tonio, meanwhile, has worked his way up in the regiment to lieutenant's rank; he has also been doing some snooping and has determined that the Marquise's story about Marie's birth is untrue. On the night of Marie's arranged wedding he bursts into the Birkenfeld chateau, accompanied by the regiment, and confronts the Marquise. The secret of Marie's origin is revealed, society snobbery is foiled, true love wins out, and everybody salutes the French flag! Synopsis courtesy of Seattle Opera Tips - If you’ve never been to an opera or even if you have here are a few insights that we hope make your experience more enjoyable. • Dress to be comfortable. Many people enjoy dressing up in formal attire, but this is optional and people attend the opera wearing all varieties of clothing. • Give yourself plenty of time to find parking and be in your seat before the downbeat. Latecomers will only be seated at suitable breaks - often not until intermission. • Ushers can help you find your seat if you’re unfamiliar with the performance venue. Ushers can also help with directions to restrooms or other ammenities or assist if there are concerns with other patrons. • Turn off, tune in. Switch off all electronic devices including cell phones, smart phones, iPods, pagers, and digital watch alarms. • Leave your camera at home and do not use the camera function on your phone during a performance. This can be very disturbing to the artists and audience members. • If you think you might need a breath mint or cough drop, unwrap it before the performance. • Settle in and get comfortable before the performance begins. Read your program. This tells you what performance you’re about to see, who created it, and who’s performing in it. You might like to read a synopsis of the opera before it begins. • Clap as the lights are dimmed and the conductor appears and bows to the audience. Watch as the conductor then turns to the orchestra and takes up his or her baton to signal the beginning of the opera. • Listen to the prelude or overture before the curtain rises. It is part of the performance and an opportunity to identify common musical themes that may reoccur during the opera. • Families and children are welcome provided they are able to sit still and quitely and enjoy the show, allowing those around them the same. • Supertitles are projected above the stage. These are not literal translations of the text, but are a synopsis of the story line. • Feel free to laugh when something is funny – this is a performance and you are expected to respond! • Applaud [or shout Bravo (men), Brava (women), Bravi (ensemble)] at the end of an aria or chorus piece to show your enjoyment of it. The end of a piece can be identified by a pause in the music. • Finally, have fun and enjoy the show. CHARACTERS AND CAST MARIE Marie is an energetic, tomboyish young orphan who was adopted and raised by the French army and considers the soldiers her family. Now a young woman, she serves as their mascot and vivandière (A French name for women attached to military regiments as sutlers or canteen keepers. Their actual historic function of selling wine to the troops and working in canteens led to the adoption of the name 'cantinière' which came to supplant the original ‘vivandière' starting in 1793, but the use of both terms was common in French until the mid-19th century, and 'vivandière' remained the term of choice in non-French-speaking countries such as the USA/CSA, Spain, Italy, and Great Britain.). Played by: Lindsay Russell, soprano. She is the winner of the grand prize at Florida Grand Opera’s Young Patronesses of Opera Competition and is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. TONIO A young Tyrolean peasant, Tonio saves Marie’s life and falls in love with her. When he is captured by the French army, who mistakes him for a spy, he confesses his love and Marie comes to his defence, attesting to his character and admitting that she loves him back. Tonio later joins the 21st regiment, becoming a soldier so that he may be eligible to marry his beloved Marie. Played by: Eric Bowden, tenor. A graduate of Sam Houston State University with a M.M. from Manhattan School of Music. Eric is the real life husband of Lindsay Russell. The couple is thrilled to be able to perform together in The Daughter of the Regiment. THE MARQUISE of BERKENFELD A somewhat haughty and fragile woman, the marquise turns out to be a relative of Marie’s. Shocked by the girl’s crude manners picked up from a life among soldiers, she insists that Marie come to live with her and receive a proper education. Marie, an obedient girl, reluctantly agrees. Played by: Cindy Sadler, mezzo-soprano. Ms. Sadler is a graduate of the University of Texas. She resides in Austin with her husband, and their two opera-hating Dachshunds, Samson and Dalila. SERGEANT SULPICE Sulpice is the good-natured sergeant of the 21st regiment of the French army. He acts as a friendly father figure for Marie, but feels it’s best she live with her true family when the marquise requests it. Played by: Joseph Beutel, bass. Mr. Beutel, is an Indiana native. He has often been praised for his richness of vocal color and versatility on stage. HORTENSIUS The steward of the marquise. Played by: Phillip Gay, bass. A native of Beaumont, Texas, Mr. Gay received his B.M. in Vocal Performance from Lamar University, and his M.M. in Vocal Performance from University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR STAGE DIRECTOR, Jeffrey Marc Buchman has a Bachelor of Music degree in Opera from the Boston Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music degree in Voice from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. He is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. CONDUCTOR, Michael Sakir is a native of Northern California. He holds bachelor degrees in Piano Performance and Music History from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a graduate degree in Orchestral Conducting from The Boston Conservatory Glossary of Opera Terms Act: a section of the opera that is then divided into scenes. Aria: means “air” in Italian. This is a piece of music written for a one singer (soloist), usually with instrumental accompaniment. Aside: a secret comment from an actor directly to the audience that the other characters cannot hear. Baritone: the middle singing range of the male voice. Bass: the lowest singing range of the male voice. Basso buffo: a bass singer who specializes in comic characters. Basso profundo: the most serious bass voice. Baton: short stick that the conductor uses to lead the orchestra. Bel Canto: Italian phrase literally meaning “beautiful singing.” A traditional Italian style of singing emphasizing tone, phrasing, coloratura passages, and technique. Also refers to the operas written in this style. Blocking: directions given to the performers for movement on stage. Bravo: a form of appreciation shouted by audience members at the end of a particularly pleasing performance. Technically, bravo refers to a male performer, brava refers to a female performer and bravi refers to many performers. Buffo: from the Italian for “buffoon.” A singer of comic roles (basso-buffo) or a comic opera (opera-buffa.) Cadenza: a passage of singing, often at the end of an aria, which shows off the singer’s vocal ability. Castrato: a castrated male prized for his high singing voice. Choreographer: the person who designs the steps of a dance. Chorus: a group of singers of all vocal ranges, singing together to support the vocal leads. Classical: the period in music which comes after the Baroque and before the Romantic, roughly from the birth of Mozart to shortly after the death of Beethoven. It represents the greatest standardization in orchestral form and tonality. Coloratura: elaborate ornamentation of music written for a singer using many fast notes and trills. Also used to describe a singer who sings this type of music. Composer: the individual who writes all the music for both voice and instrument. Comprimario: a nineteenth century term referring to secondary or supporting roles such as confidantes, messengers, and matchmakers.